NXT has been on fire lately. With NXT PLEs just as entertaining as their main roster counterpart there are some true stars in the making populating in NXT’s roster. As NXT found its identity again post “Black and God” WWE tried a bold experiment. It sent established main roster talent “down” to NXT to feud with budding stars. Mid card main stays and ring veterans finally had a place to go to showcase their skills and build up and coming talent in the process. This seemed to work in NXT’s favor in some feuds but in some instances a main roster talent heading back to NXT didn’t quite invigorate the brand. While Dolph Ziggler battled Bron Breakker eventually trading the NXT Championship back and forth, the likes of Charlotte Flair using her Royal Rumble win to challenge, and defeat, then NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley did nothing for the brand as a whole. NXT’s roster needs the occasional mix up but in house talent traveling from roster makes little sense in the long run as most those mid carders and ring vets stay in their same roles once returning to the main roster. NXT needed a shake up and they found their answer with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
TNA had been in a rut for quite some time. The promotion had quietly built a loyal following in the background of professional wrestling. TNA was able to build an impressive roster, the spotlight being the X-Division, a high flying, high risk style of wrestling with no weight restrictions. Soon prominent talent would emerge from in house and TNA seemed to be growing its identity and popularity but still wouldn’t come close to WWE as a viable alternative. As time went on TNA fell further and further into disarray as Hulk Hogan was brought into the fold. Gone was the six sided rings that the promotion’s talent had found innovative ways to use. Gone was the focus on the talent that built the X-Division. It was Jurassic Park as TNA, now going by IMPACT! Wrestling began signing former WCW stars and anyone and everyone recently off WWE’s payroll. The spotlight refocused from in house talent to the talent of the 90s and soon it was WCW Nitro all over again. However with promotion changing hands again and with a push from some truly passionate promotors IMPACT started to regain traction. Then IMPACT Women’s Champion Mickie James was a 2022 WWE Women’s Royal Rumble entrant bringing even more eyes to the brand. IMPACT started 2024 with a bang, rebranding to it’s original TNA look and bringing a sense of nostalgia with it. TNA has since become a viable alternative with its own loyal fanbase. However TNA was suffering from a stale roster, the same people seemed to always be champions with the same rotating door of challengers. An old roster needed some fresh meat and they found their answer in NXT.
Following yet another appearance from a TNA Knockouts Champion in the 2024 WWE Women’s Royal Rumble match buzz about the two promotions working together started immediately. While Mickie James had had a memorable WWE career before returning in the Rumble, Jordynne Grace was relatively unknown to WWE viewers. Not only did she impress, she had a brilliant showcase in 2024 Women’s Rumble lasting 20 minutes. Grace went on challenge NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez in a losing effort and have her open challenge for her TNA Knockouts Championship answered by NXT’s Tatum Paxley in which she was victorious. Former TNA talent Ethan Page signed with NXT following his exit from AEW prompting more rumors of talent crossing over. WWE Champion Cody Rhodes issued a warning to then NXT Champion Trick Williams of a upcoming Number One Contender’s Battle Royal that would feature talent from other locker rooms. In that very battle royal TNA talent Frankie Kzarian and Joe Hendry would appear. Hendry in particular has seemed to connect with the NXT crowd and after the NXT Heatwave PLE Hendry’s face would once again grace NXT screens. The following NXT Hendry would appear to aid Trick Williams against newly crowned NXT Champion Ethan Page and Shawn Spears. The Rascalz also made their NXT debut reuniting with, and hoping to cheer up a down Wes Lee who was contemplating retirement after failing to capture the NXT North American Championship. It seems the three are now a trio, a trio stretching over two promotions.
So what else is in store for these two promotions? Will they inevitably swap talent once contracts are up at their respective promotions? Is a World’s Collide NXT vs TNA on the horizon and what more NXT talent will find themselves in TNA in the coming weeks? Either way this shake up seemed to be exactly what both these brands needed and I cannot wait to see what’s next for what has been an impactful relationship.
